Feminae: Medieval Women and Gender Index

Title: Empress Theodora and Retinue
Creator:
Description: Theodora stands with her attendants in the anteroom of a church. A man draws back a curtain leading into the sacred area as the empress hands a eucharistic chalice to another man to take into the sanctuary. The hem of Theodora's robe is embroidered with a scene of the Three Magi carrying gifts. This final element suggests that she and Justinian, who is depicted with his retinue on the opposite wall, are like the Three Magi as they carry their offerings to Christ, who is depicted in the apse (not shown).
Source: Wikimedia Commons
Rights: Public Domain
Subject (See Also): Empresses Patronage, Ecclesiastical Ravenna, Italy- Church of San Vitale- Mosaics Theodora, Wife of Justinian I, Byzantine Emperor
Geographic Area: Italy
Century: 6
Date:
Related Work: See the mosaic of the Emperor Justinian accompanied by clerics and soldiers from the left apse side wall of San Vitale: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Justinian_mosaik_ravenna.jpg
Current Location: Ravenna, San Vitale, right apse side wall
Original Location:
Artistic Type (Category): Digital images; Mosaics
Artistic Type (Material/Technique): Colored stone; Glass; Gold
Donor: Layman; Julianus Argentarius, a banker
Height/Width/Length(cm): //
Inscription:
Related Resources: